Political developments in Cebu City last week, seen through the prism of the sovereignty of the people in a democracy, yield interesting insights.
The first, gleaned through the mind of Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district, is that the supremacy of the political party still trumps pure patriotism when it comes to decision-making in the government, election-related or otherwise.
For how else can we explain Osmeña’s railing against what he views as the Liberal Party’s (LP) ingratitude to, which translates to lack of projects being implemented in the city?
If we go by the congressman’s interpretation of realpolitik, Cebuanos should be expecting more from the LP to which President Benigno Aquino III belongs, since Osmeña as a local party stalwart did the legwork that delivered the votes for Aquino and his running mate, now Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas.
Osmeña’s reading of our polity, if it is an exact insider’s view of the workings of LP, is a disappointment and a blot on Aquino’s record, who promised clean and participatory, not partisan rule.
However, if Osmeña is simply stamping his feet over the Malacañang-imposed moratorium on the two north district flyover projects which are under possibly pro forma study before inevitable, railroaded implementation, then the era of the party may be plodding towards its sunset.
A multi-sectoral citizen’s protest through the Movement for a Livable Cebu (MLC) was what put brakes, albeit temporary ones, on the projects. The MLC is not expected to go gentle into that good night if the projects are implemented merely because its proponents have the party line to the Palace.
So does a force against dominant party domination (the crux of our second insight), exist within the LP?
Roxas’ apparent insistence that the party carry incumbent Michael Rama as its Cebu City mayoral bet next year (which ruffled Osmeña’s feathers no end), is a nod to the “equity of the incumbent” rule.
Rep. Rachel Marguerite del Mar of the city’s north district, however, sees the LP brushing aside this rule out of gratitude to Osmeña who already manifested his desire to return to the throne in City Hall.
Still, those who value the sovereignty of the people hope that Roxas’ insistence is a tip of the hat, not to mere party tradition, but to the sheer voice of the city’s electorate.
The people may, after all, wish to evaluate Osmeña’s record as a legislator (read: maker of laws) by voting or not voting him into Congress again.
By the same token, they may want to evaluate through the ballot whether or not Rama with his slower but more grassroots-sensitive style deserves more years holding the city’s reins.